


Holding Out On Me

by glowinggreeneyes



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Asking Out, Barista Dean, Cell Phones, Coffee Shops, Confessions, Dating, Doctor Sexy M.D., First Dates, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Literary References & Allusions, M/M, Professor Castiel, Restaurants
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-12 01:34:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7079203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glowinggreeneyes/pseuds/glowinggreeneyes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not like he doesn't love his job, his head is just always in the clouds. That is until one day Dean serves a mysterious stranger, who keeps his name anonymous behind famous fictional characters while ordering his daily coffee. </p><p>Needless to say Dean finds this more than intriguing, especially when he gets the hints of his infatuation being returned.</p><p>~</p><p>Chpt 2: Date night shenanigans and fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Don’t you love me anymore?! Is that it? Is that why…?!”

“I swear, it’s not like that!”

“And all those times you said you loved me, you were screwing her! How dare you!”

“I…”

“Just as I thought. Nothing to say. I thought you would break my heart one day. Never knew it would be so soon.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No you’re not. You know what, you can get out of here.”

“I’m-”

Dean was on the edge of the stool, poised in such a way he could take the heartbreak for the next line. Dr. Sexy was going to proclaim his love to Dr. Juliana this episode - he had to. It’d been going on forever and quite frankly getting ridiculous. 

But unfortunately Dean’s viewing time was cut short with the shriek of Charlie Bradbury’s voice. “Hey, Winchester! We’re open, so get your ass out here now!”

Sighing, Dean turned his phone off and took out his headphones. Tucking them into his pocket, he jumped down with a spring in his steps before making his way into the counter.

“What’s got you?” Charlie nudged him.

“Dr. Sexy. Last nights episode. He’s just so…perfect. I can’t believe Dr. Juliana thinks he’s cheating on her. After all these seasons!”

Charlie rolled her eyes dramatically. “It’s just a TV show, Dean.”

“How dare you?!” he melodramatically declared. 

“I’m joking. That would be very hypocritical of me. Yeah, I’m not over Gilda from Fantasy Of Nightingale,” she sighed, her eyes glazed and staring out of the window as if her celebrity crush would fly through it and rescue her.

“Right,” Dean eventually said.

He had work to do.

In and out came customers, most boring, some cute, some weird in a good way…others, well, it’s safe to say not in a good way.

It approached around midday, the sun was high, the colours of city life outside the café were vibrant and complimentary to the shops design. Dean grinned to himself, breathing in the fresh air every time the door opened.

It’s not that he hated this job that made him want to quit: he loved every aspect of it here. He just felt like his mind was better off working someplace else. The _where_ was yet to be found.

While Dean was daydreaming, a man entered through and looked slightly out of place.

Dean waited behind the counter and watched closely to the man approaching.

He had hair with no style; it was simply a short raven mess. And his clothing style was like he was going for the ancient-languages-lecturer-at-college aesthetic. The dark blue skinny jeans that were very worn down; the dark off-brown jacket; thin rimmed glasses; his ‘I haven’t shaved in a week’ beard; simply everything about him was a disheveled mess of a professor.

“Excuse me, can I have a medium cappuccino, sir?” His voice was rough and deeper than Dean had ever heard someone near enough his age speak. But it was like a purring engine almost, very sensual too.

“Coming right up. What’s your name?”

“Excuse me?”

Dean paused his actions, holding the cup in one hand and a permanent marker in the other. “For the cup. Your name.”

“Oh, uh…Skywalker, Luke,” the man said with a curl to his full and chapped lips.

“Okay, Mr. Skywalker,” Dean grinned back. This seemed to make 'Luke’ more relaxed. He leaned up against the counter even, looking through his shoulder back and through files (definitely a teacher of some sort, Dean thought), then pulled out his wallet.

The weirdest thing was that he continued beaming and smiling fondly as Dean passed the cup to Charlie to finish up the drink while Dean dealt with someone else. Dean felt a hint fondness towards this man well up in his chest.

When Charlie was done she called his name with a laugh in her tone.

Dean, by this time had moved onto another customer, but he didn’t stop watching over that man until they shared a glance and he went on his way about the world - never to see each other again.

~

“Who was that?” Charlie nudged Dean when they were hanging around at hers after their shift.

“Who was who?”

“That guy that you were giving heart eyes too earlier, Luke Skywalker, yeah, like you could forget him. Who was he?”

Dean would be lying if he said he hadn’t been thinking about bright blue eyes and red plaid shirts behind brown jackets all day. Who could blame him - really?

“I have no idea,” he sighed.

“Why didn’t you get his number!? He was totally into you.”

“No he wasn’t. You’re just wishing it was. And so am I. And it’s not like we’re going to find out if he was into me or not now.”

“Yep. Too late, you idiot.”

~

The next day, around lunch hour, the shift was busy. Dean had been rushing about all morning and he was glad he was only working half a day.

He checked the time. _Soon_ , he thought.

In the midst of tidying up and getting down orders and names, one stood out for him.

“Cappuccino, please.” Dean looked up to see the same man from yesterday. Only today he’d shaved and was wearing a blue shirt with a few buttons undone. Fuck. He was gorgeous.

Dean stared at him for a moment before composing himself. “Same as yesterday?”

The man nodded. “Under the name 'Mulder’, thanks.”

“You got it.”

~

After that day, surely, _surely_ , he wouldn’t come back for the same order 3 days in a row.

But he did.

“Can I have a-”

“Same as yesterday?” Dean asked, hopeful eyes staring softly at the gentleman in front of him. He felt like he was having a high school crush at this point despite seeing the man only a few times. But he was sweet. And beautiful. And nerdy - which is all Dean ever wanted in life.

“It’s Steve Rogers, the name for the cup,” the man squinted cutely at Dean’s name tag before looking at him back in the eyes, “thank you Dean.”

“You’re welcome.”

~

“Cappuccino, for Mr…?”

“Starlord.” The man looked smugly at Dean with his hands shoved in his pockets. Dean rolled his eyes at him, wrote down the name anyway. “Can you blame me?”

“No, I can’t. It’s funny, you know. Are you normally this sneaky?” Dean nodded at him. The man just chuckled to himself and looked down. “Okay, fine. Will I be seeing you tomorrow?”

'Starlord’ just winked (and Dean did _not_ melt and go all gooey at his heart at that) before waiting for his drink over by Charlie.

For a cute guy he really left a lot of mystery and knowledge to be desired.

~

By the end of the first 5 days it had become their thing. Dean had the weekend off and just used the time thinking about his new crush. It probably wasn’t healthy but he couldn’t help it.

By the end of week two they had been edging near flirtatious territory. Dean was too scared to ask the guy out or even ask why he was coming to the same shop 5 days a week at near enough the same time. The other guy, well, Dean didn’t even know his real name. All he knew was the man was definitely not straight from the pride wristbands he sported on occasion.

As week three came to a close they’d established this ritual: banter, light conversation, the name of the day before their shared small smiles or prolonged glances. Dean was worried the guy would start running out of names. 

It was only when week 5 began things changed between them. Their hands lingered more when exchanging cash, or they itched nearer to each other with every moment they could afford, leaning across the counter mostly. Dean didn’t _mind_. It was just he didn’t want this all to be for nothing. A build up without a final hit, an almost something between him an a stranger once upon a time.

Dean waited. It was around this time of day that his 'friend’ entered. Charlie was ready with the cappuccino and Dean was ready with his most attractive smile he could pull of.

Then he came in. Dean sighed in relief.

But something was different about the man this time. Dean couldn’t quite figure it out. He seemed more nervous as he fingered his bag strap or held his own hands awkwardly.

“Are you alright?” Dean asked with some concern.

“I’m fine thank you, Dean.” Dean loved it when he said his name. And when he said he loved it, he means he had _never_ imagined 'I do, Dean’ in his dreams, or 'oh, Dean' moaned out, breathless and desperate, or anything like that…

“So…What’s it today?”

“Castiel,” he replied slowly.

Dean could pretend he understood what he meant but he didn’t. So with the cup in hand, he stood closer. “I don’t understand that reference?”

“I-It’s not a reference. It’s actually my name.”

“You’re joking- what sort of…” Dean’s almost laughter trailed off at Castiel’s stern look. “You’re not joking. Well, I- uh, well it’s very…” He was being eyed carefully. Dean took in a small breath and braced himself as he let the words flow. “Beautiful. It’s beautiful, Castiel. It’s breathtakingly angelic, l-like your eyes.”

“Way to make a guy feel special,” Castiel blushed.

“I have better ways, I swear.” Dean said it like a hopeful promise.

“I’m sure you do.”

Dean wrote down the name. But this time he added his number and a few kisses underneath before handing the cup over to Charlie. As per usual, Cas stood in the corner and waited for his order.

Smirking, Dean was half watching as to when Cas got his order. It was fairly soon after and Dean’s heart swelled with the look of surprise on Castiel’s face as he saw what Dean had written. 

Then he looked back at Dean, biting his lip as if to stop his smile from spreading to wide.

Castiel left the shop with a spring in his step that day. When he got out of sight of Dean, he picked up his phone and called his brothers number.

“Have you done it?”

“I’ve got his number, Gabe! His _number_!” He practically jumped up and down on the side walk.

“Son of a bitch. Looks like you didn’t need your older brother intervening anyway. What are you going to do with it?” Gabriel said with pride, his voice chuckling down the line.

“I’m going to ask him out for dinner tomorrow,” Cas nearly squeaked, “holy shit, Gabe. He’s so cute.”

“So you’ve been telling me for the last month,” he dryly said. “Stop wasting time talking about how much you think he’s a God and text him!”

“Okay, okay I’ll do that... What if he’s doesn’t like me? What if I’m too old or something? What if-”

“He wants to kiss you so hard bro, trust me! Now: text. Him. And. Ask. Him. Out. Understand?”

Cas was too busy smiling to say anything else. He just hung up and wrote down Dean’s number into his contacts.

Something about this felt like it was going to be very special.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp... I couldn't help myself to add another chapter.

Dean could do this, no problem. It was just a date.

Except it wasn't. And he had knots twisting his stomach tighter with every passing minute. This was not 'just' a date, but one he'd not be forced into, scared of who he was going to see, it didn't have any pressure behind it from anyone else. It was simply him and the man that called him up the the other night with his older brother chanting 'go Cassie' in the background demonically.

So from that call, Dean got a few ideas about what Cas' family was like. He wasn't sure if he minded Gabriel at this point.

The rest of that call, however, was spent with Dean being the opposite of his preferred cool and collected persona; more like dork meets anxiety meets attempted charm. Not a good mixture, in which Dean cringed at after saying 'goodbye for now'.

But now he had a time and a place and a _freaking_ _date_ : tonight at 7, Jo's Restaurant with Professor Castiel Novak.

The fact that he was a Professor already threw Dean off, but at least he was correct in assuming a teaching position of some kind at first glance. Even if it was an obscure and niche teaching, Dean couldn't help but feel inadequate compared to him. The furthest he'd done is high school, the rest was completed by his little brother.

But he reminded himself that he shouldn't feel such intimidation from a man who dropped his phone while fumbling for change the other day, then proceeded to apologise to it in front of the queue, because he was, quote, 'looking into the ethereal eyes of humanity. And maybe thinking about your ass too.'

Nevertheless, he wasn't sure he'd ever been as nervous.

The clothes he wore were far from formal, but he hoped from his month preview of Cas' wardrobe that he'd be in the same position. Jo's wasn't too posh or upmarket, so Dean figured he'd dress casual smart for his date.

He splashed water over his face, staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror; he'd been breathing heavily for the past hour in an attempt to calm himself down.

The promised time approached and Dean found himself pacing by the front door, minutes blending together, dragging on and on. However, nothing prepared him for the happiness that swelled in his chest, breaking through all his fear when he heard a firm knock at his door.

He stilled in his tracks, looked up at the door blushing and with a giddy smile on his face.

~

Cas could do this, no problem. It was just a date. 

Except this was his fist date ever. Yeah, at 30, so sue him. But after a talk from his brother and watching chick flick after chick flick he had enough confidence to go through with this. He'd dated, sure, but actually  _been_ on one: never. But he was glad it was with Dean.

He asked Dean, once he had the guts to call him up, if he could pick him up from his house by motorbike, curtesy of Gabriel's tips. And, surprisingly, Dean agreed. So step one of his date plan actually worked out. 

Step two, however, was not so easy since he had absolutely no clothes that coordinated. Whatever Dean saw in him, he would never understand. 

Slipping his closet full of shirts and pants across, he sighed and began slowly filing through them. It was a strenuous task but he hoped it would be worth it. Each outfit he tried on just looked like he was either going to his mother's funeral or still teaching at college, which aged him unattractively. 

A music montage of clothes changing later and he finally had something that actually made him look at least handsome and still remained casual in the form of a blue button-up (with a few buttons down), black blazer jacket and some jeans. A smirk played on his lips as he checked himself out in the mirror. 

"Bro, it's _way_ past time! You gotta leave ASAP so you don't leave your date waiting!" Gabriel snapped at him from outside his room. 

"Fuck!"

"Only if you're lucky," came the snarky reply. 

He couldn't think of a good come-back, instead he checked his watch and cursed breathlessly one last time. 

~

"Dean," Cas grinned, hands in pockets as Dean opened the door.

"Hey, Cas." Dean scratched the back of his neck, head ducking a little trying to hide his blush. "You look...wow. I mean," he huffed out a little laugh. Cas bit his bottom lip to stop himself from grinning. 

They had edged closer, but now eyes locked and a natural pause in conversation it felt more intimate. Cas coughed and broke it off, pointing behind him. "Do you want to, uh," he quickly glanced at his parked motorbike a few feet away. 

"Yeah, yeah," Dean quickly mumbled, stepping out of his home and locking up behind him. Once he caught up, he was checking out the ride and whistled. 

Helmets on, Dean mounted the bike behind Cas and slipped his arms gingerly onto Cas' hips. Cas suddenly gripped his arms and pulled him closely so Dean had to grip tighter, arms wrapped completely around his waist, but he also was now flush against his back, warm and surprisingly _comfortably_ intimate. 

"Don't be scared to cling tighter, I don't mind," Cas said before starting the engine and beginning their route to the restaurant. 

~

"So when he turned around he realised that he'd said that in front of my _entire_ family, both the ones that were high half the time side and-"

" _And_  the strict Christian side?!" Dean gasped. A wide grin spread across Castiel's face, Dean laughing still so much that he had tears in his eyes. "I can't believe your brother."

"Me neither! And I'd grown up with him."

Dean's laugh faded off before he took a sip of whatever expensive but terrible tasting beverage. 

They'd be talking non-stop for nearing three hours and they were too far lost in conversation to care about time or getting thrown out. Discussion had flowed anywhere between the common for first dates to conversations old friends would go through. It felt so natural and not awkward, even when Dean accidentally spilled water on the waiter and spent ten minutes apologising and giving him napkins, or when Cas tripped up after he'd come out of the restroom because his shoelace was undone for some reason. 

It just...fit. Felt right. 

Cas felt his heart swell with warmth every time Dean smiled or told him how proud he was of his brother, childhood memories, in fact almost anything. And it wasn't like Dean didn't feel the same, just more blushing and wanting to hold Cas' firm hand across the table; and at least he wasn't falling over his words as much. 

So when they finally gathered their things together and stumbled out of the restaurant, teasingly bumping sides down the street back to where they parked up.

"I don't want this night to end," Dean confessed as they stood facing each other over the bike. 

"Me neither."

A silence hovered around them in the cold air, wind lightly blowing around them, more traffic faded into the background and street lights just bright enough to make out each others features. 

"Would it be okay if-if I kissed you tonight?" Cas hesitantly asked, wetting his lips and shifting from side to side. He didn't know why he said it, he put it down to his mind auto-piloting from romance films. And he wasn't blind, he knew that Dean felt the same, but maybe it was too fast, too soon into whatever this was-

"Uh, yeah, yeah I'd like that," Dean fumbled over himself. _Finally_ he didn't have to dream about what full lips felt like, and it was a sweet gesture to end this amazing night on. 

Cas reached a hand out to cup the side of Dean's face, eyes flickering to his lips and back up to his hooded eyes, before closing the gap between them. Dean made a soft noise like a hum as their lips touched; the scent of Cas was like cinnamon and slight smokiness, and the ways his lips moved to deepen the kiss, tilting his head, made Dean dizzy in the whirlwind that was Cas.

Dean placed his hand on Castiel's hip and pulled him closer above the motorbike seat. It was awkward as hell but Dean didn't mind, so perfectly imperfect as they grasped around for balance and vexing for more in their ungraceful position.  

Just as soon as it begun it was over. Dean pulled back before he passed out, giving Cas space to do the same. He immediately missed warm lips on his own, but it was softened by the quick peck Cas gave him after.

"Damn, that was awesome," Dean murmured, letting go of Cas' jacket and still trying to wrap his head around the situation.

"I have a confession."

Dean's heart suddenly twisted up, panic flushing over him. "Yes?"

Cas took in a deep breath. Maybe it was a stupid idea admitting this now, after everything. "I've never been on a date before."

"You've...you've not?" Cas shook his head. "How come? You're damn gorgeous and funny and kind and everything interesting in this world."

"I'm not, Dean."

Dean reached across again and sharply kissed Cas. It was brisk, but Cas' breath hitched after he pulled away. "Yes you are," Dean affirmed. "Tonight you more than proved that."

A small smile twitched on Cas' lips, his eyes welling with moisture but not enough to spill. "I-I...thank you." Dean smiled. "I better take you home."

"Yeah, okay," Dean slowly nodded. "You know it's more common to kiss at my home rather than before you take me back."

"I know."

"And you still did it anyway?"

"I thought some of the evening magic may have left by the time we got there."

"It wouldn't; trust me. And it's normally when we get back to mine when we say how much we enjoyed it and that we could do it again sometime, say we'll a call soon." Dean shrugged.

"You would like to do this again with me?"

Dean jumped on the bike's seat, then winked. "Hell yeah."


End file.
